Welcome to A Century in Cinema, the monthly column where I’ll be discussing films from a hundred years ago, the historical impact they had, and how they hold up today. Whether we’re covering timeless classics or obscure gems, follow along as we continue to explore…a century in cinema! WARNING: Hundred-Year-Old SPOILERS ahead!
There’s something fascinating about watching an actor or filmmakers step outside of their comfort zone and try their hand at a genre they’re not typically known for. Sometimes, it can be revelatory and praised for decades to come, but it can also be to their detriment and blemish their reputation with the public.
Regardless of the outcome, I believe that the effort should be commended, and this month’s film, A Woman of Paris, also known by its subtitle A Drama of Fate, is a prime example of the risk one takes when branching out creatively.
A Drama of Dashed Devotion
Written, directed, and produced by Charlie Chaplin, the film stars Edna Purviance as Marie St. Clair, a woman unhappy with her life at home in small-town France. Kept locked in her room by her father (Clarence Geldert), she makes her escape with the help of her fiancé Jean (Carl Miller) to his home so they can leave for Paris to be wed. However, Jean’s father (Charles K. French) refuses to let her stay, despite his wife’s (Lydia Knott) plea for acceptance. The couple leaves for the train station, with Jean promising to return once he’s packed a bag. However, once he gets home he finds his father to have died. While consoling his mother, Marie calls to see why he hasn’t left, and he tells her something terrible has happened and needs to postpone the trip. Rather than wait any longer, she immediately boards a train for Paris alone.
A year later, Marie’s lifestyle has completely changed. No longer the demure fiancée, she now lives a life of hedonistic luxury as the companion of Pierre (Adolphe Menjou, in a delightfully unlikeable performance), one of the wealthiest bachelors in Paris. Her attitude has become completely laissez-faire toward life, including her relationships, as seen when her friend reveals that Pierre is recently engaged and she doesn’t even bat an eye. “Such is life,” she replies with a laugh. One night, she receives a call to join a raucous party – complete with women on men’s shoulders pillow fighting and a woman wrapped in a length of cloth that’s unraveled as she spins on a platform in front of a cheering room – and enters the wrong building. Whose apartment should she happen to knock on than Jean’s, now living a modest life in the city with his mother and working as an artist. She commissions him to paint a portrait of her, to which he agrees.
Later, Jean comes by her apartment to begin the portrait, and she notices the black armband on his sleeve. She asks who he’s mourning, and he tells her how his father died. Marie has a special gown picked out for the painting, but when she sneaks a peek at his progress, she discovers he’s painted her in the exact outfit she was wearing the night she left. He confesses that he still wants to marry her. Torn between marriage and luxury, she admits to Pierre her desire for “a real home, babies, and a man’s respect,” which leads to his derision. In a flash of anger, she tosses her pearl necklace out the window, but when it’s picked up by a passerby she’s forced to chase him down, which Pierre finds hilarious. Furious, she ends the relationship, much to his amusement, as he believes she’ll be back the next day. When she goes to call on Jean, she hears him arguing with his mother about his proposal to Marie, who she fears is the “wrong” kind of girl. He attempts to placate her by claiming he proposed in a moment of weakness. Crushed, Marie leaves despite his pleas and runs back to Pierre. Unable to win her back, Jean loads a pistol and follows them to a restaurant. He sends a note to Marie to see her one last time, which Pierre reads and calls him over to the table. The conversation turns violent, and Jean is quickly escorted out to the foyer, where he commits suicide.
As Jean’s body is brought back to his mother, she finds the note on him that he has sent to Marie. Thinking she’s at fault for his death, she takes the gun and storms out to find her. Upon arriving at her apartment, she learns Marie actually left for her place and returns to find Marie openly weeping next to Jean. The two women are able to make amends, and the story jumps ahead to the two openings a home for orphans in the countryside, living happily as Pierre drives in a car with a friend, not knowing whatever became of Marie as they unwittingly pass by the other and continue living their separate lives.
Critically Acclaimed, but a Financial Flop
A Woman of Paris is the first of only two films that Chaplin directed in which he did not star in, with the other being A Countess From Hong Kong (1967). It was also his first feature-length film, and his first as a partner in United Artists along with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D.W. Griffith. Interestingly, Chaplin’s final work also involved this film, as he released a new cut of the film in 1977 along with a new score that he composed as well. Having worked with Edna on numerous occasions prior, he wrote this film with her in mind, hoping to give her career a boost separate from him, while also trying his hand at drama rather than the comedies he was already renowned for. While the film didn’t have the intended success for Purviance, it did help Menjou gain some recognition and it was also a favorite of Pickford.
Despite his best efforts, the film was critically well-received but a box office failure. Audiences no doubt arrived at the theater expecting to see Chaplin doing what he does best, only to be greeted with a title card prior to the film informing them that Chaplin himself would not be appearing (He does, however, have a very brief cameo as a train porter). Even at the premiere, flyers were handed out to those in line containing similar information, perhaps in an attempt to temper audience expectations. It’s since been speculated, and I’m inclined to agree, that the film might have been more successful if the audience wasn’t forewarned, or if his name wasn’t used in the marketing altogether.
In addition to a lackluster financial performance, the film was also banned in various cities, as censorship at the time was determined at the state or local level prior to the implementation of the Hays Code. Some gave the reasoning as the film’s “morally objectionable” content, while others did so in response to a scandal regarding Purviance being present at a party where oil tycoon Courtland Dines was shot by Mabel Normand’s chauffeur. Though she was in no way part of the incident, her mere presence was enough for some to not give the film any attention.
Conclusion:
A Woman of Paris is a romantic drama that is equal parts engaging and tragic, with performances that are as impactful today as they were a century ago. Purviance, Miller, and Menjou especially are all wonderful, but Betty Morrissey in her film debut as Fifi is a standout as well. Chaplin’s writing and directing is skillful, and it’s a shame he didn’t continue making the occasional drama after this, though his discouragement is understandable. Fans of silent dramas will enjoy this, and if you go into it not expecting another appearance of The Tramp and just enjoy the film on its own merit, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
A Woman of Paris is available to stream on Max or The Criterion Channel, as well as available for rent or purchase on Apple TV and Prime Video.
Watch A Woman of Paris
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